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1 PRAVAHINI (Weakly Periodical - March 2021) by www.successmantra.in & www.easevidya.com
2 PRAVAHINI (Weakly Periodical - March 2021) by www.successmantra.in & www.easevidya.com
PREFACE
It gives us great pleasure to release the monthly edition of the PRAVAHINI - Monthly e-Compendium &
Weekly e-Periodicals of Current Affairs. The magazine’s members have shown considerable cooperation as
well as devotion. We at successmantra.in work tirelessly to create this magazine and bring it to you with a
great sense of gratitude.
The PRAVAHINI March-2021 eBook covers the current events that happened in the month of October.
Current Affairs is a crucial component of any competitive exams including CLAT, AILET, DU-LLB, HM,
CAT, IAS, PCS, SSC, Banking, MBA and various other competitive examinations.
Current Affairs play the bigger role in many competitive and government exams. It holds the power of
making or breaking your chance of success. Therefore, the candidates should cover the Current Affairs
thoroughly and smartly.
The PRAVAHINI March-2021 eBook is divided into different sections keeping in mind the need of various
exams. The sections covered namely International, National, Economy, Ecology and Environment, Science &
Technology, Legal Affairs, Sports, States News Makers and few others.
We would also be pleased to receive any suggestion that could assist us with the upcoming editions.
Success Mantra (GTB Nagar, Delhi)
Website: www.successmantra.in
Mail Id: [email protected]
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. National Affairs
2. International Affairs
3. Economic Affairs
4. Appointments
5. Awards And Honors
6. Important Dates & Sports
7. Reports And Indexes
8. Science & Technology
9. Miscellaneous
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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
INDIA STATUS DOWNGRADED FROM 'FREE' TO 'PARTLY FREE'
India’s status as a democracy and free society has been
downgraded to “partly free” in the latest annual report on global
political rights and liberties by Freedom House, a US government-
funded NGO that studies political freedom around the world.
The report titled “Freedom in the World 2021 – Democracy under Siege”. India’s fall “from the upper
ranks of free nations could have a particularly damaging impact on global democratic standards”.
India had been rated as “free” in Freedom House’s reports for 2018, 2019 and 2020, though its scores
on a scale of 100 had declined during this period from 77 to 71. In the latest report, India had a score
of 67 out of 100.
In 1973, Freedom House launched the Freedom in the World report, which assessed the level of
freedom in each country and ranked them with a numerical score and declared them as “free”,
“partly free” or “not free”.
UTTARAKHAND CM TRIVENDRA S. RAWAT RESIGNED
Trivendra Singh Rawat has resigned as the chief minister of
Uttarakhand, a year before the hill state is scheduled to go to polls.
Rawat, who became the CM after the BJP swept the assembly elections here in early 2017, tendered
his resignation after meeting Governor Baby Rani Maurya.
The central BJP leadership had recently sent two observers, party vice president Raman Singh and
general secretary Dushayant Kumar Gautam, to Uttarakhand to get feedback from the party’s core
group in the state amid reports of discontent against the chief minister.
PM MODI INAUGURATED FIRST INDIA TOY FAIR 2021
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first-ever Indian Toy Fair 2021 via video
conference during which he urged the country to become ‘Aatmanirbhar’ in the toy manufacturing
sector.
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The Ministry of Textiles, in collaboration with other ministries,
including the Ministry of Education, has organised the virtual
event with an aim to provide joyful learning to children by
including them in teaching and learning as well as promoting the
indigenous toy industry.
The idea of a toy fair emerged from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat address on
August 30, 2020, where he highlighted the huge potential of the toys market and the opportunities
that can be tapped to promote indigenous toys.
IAF TO PARTICIPATE IN EXERCISE DESERT FLAG-VI
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is participating in Exercise Desert
Flag-VI, which has been organised from March 03 to 27, 2021 at
Al-Dhafra airbase, UAE.
The purpose of the exercise is to provide operational exposure to the participating forces, train them
to undertake simulated air combat operations in a controlled environment, provides an opportunity
to enhance their operational capabilities along with the mutual exchange of best practices.
Ex Desert Flag is an annual multi-nation large force employment warfare exercise hosted by the
United Arab Emirates Air Force.
The exercise will also see the air forces of the United Arab Emirates, United States of America,
France, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Bahrain. The IAF is participating with six Su-30 MKI, two
C-17 and one IL-78 tanker aircraft.
INAUGURAL SESSION OF TECH BHARAT 2021
Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan
has addressed the inaugural session of TechBharat 2021.
Laghu Udyog Bharati and IMS Foundation have organized the
2nd edition of the conclave bringing together stakeholders from the
HealthTech & Edutech sector on a virtual platform.
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Techbharat is facilitating interactions & deliberations between thousands of domestic & global
participants, including policymakers, government representatives, industry members, investors &
start-ups to nurture resourceful partnerships and boost growth in the sectors.
The Pradhan Mantri Aatmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana, with a massive outlay of over 64
thousand crore rupees over the next six years, will develop capacities of primary, secondary and
tertiary care, health care systems.
SITHARAMAN ATTENDED G20 CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR
The Finance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman has attended
the G20 Central Bank Governors’ meeting. This was the first-ever
G20 Central Bank Governors’ meeting that was held under the
Italian Presidency.
The main aim of the meeting was to discuss policy actions for transformative and equitable recovery
along with other issues on the agenda including the global economic outlook, financial sector issues,
financial inclusion and sustainable finance.
This meeting is a follow-up for the upcoming 2021 G20 Summit, the sixteenth meeting of Group of
Twenty, scheduled to take place in Rome, Italy, on 30–31 October 2021.
MAITRI SETU BETWEEN INDIA & BANGLADESH
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has inaugurated the ‘Maitri
Setu’ bridge between India and Bangladesh through a video
conference, to strengthen the connectivity between both countries
and especially with the north-eastern region of India.
Maitri bridge will also make Tripura the ‘Gateway of North East’ with access to Chittagong Port of
Bangladesh, which is just 80 km from the Sabroom.
The Maitri Setu bridge has been built on the Feni river, which lies between the Indian boundary in
Tripura and Bangladesh.
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The 1.9 Kilometres long bridge will connect Sabroom in India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh. The
bridge has been constructed by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development
Corporation Limited at a project cost of around Rs. 133 Crore.
TIRATH SINGH RAWAT NEW CM OF UTTARAKHAND
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s member of Parliament from Pauri
Garhwal, Tirath Singh Rawat, will be the next chief minister of
Uttarakhand.
This was announced by outgoing chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, who resigned. Tirath Singh
Rawat will be sworn in as the new chief minister of Uttarakhand.
Tirath Singh Rawat was the chief of the party in Uttarakhand in 2013-15 and also an MLA from the
state in the past. His name was picked over prominent candidates including Union Minister Ramesh
Pokhriyal Nishank and Uttarakhand Minister Dhan Singh Rawat.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
INDIA DESCRIBED SRI LANKA 'PRIORITY ONE' PARTNER
Indian High Commission in Colombo has described the island
nation of Sri Lanka as its “Priority One” partner in the defence
sphere and reiterated the assurance of fullest cooperation in the
field of defence and security.
The assertion comes at a time when the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) is gearing up for the celebration
of its 70th anniversary on 2 March.
The SLAF is celebrating its 70th Anniversary on March 2 and to commemorate the historical event,
a Fly Past and an Aerobatic Display are being organised for the first time in the country at a grand
scale.
A total of 23 Indian Air force (IAF) and Indian Navy aircraft will also partake in the event. Indian
High Commission has called the participation indicative of the growing cooperation, camaraderie
and friendship between the armed forces of the two nations.
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ISRAEL RECEIVES FIRST EVER UAE AMBASSADOR
Israel’s president has formally received the first-ever
ambassador from the United Arab Emirates, following last
year’s historic agreement between the countries to normalise ties.
UAE envoy Mohamed Al Khaja, who arrived in Israel, delivered
his credentials to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at a ceremony in Jerusalem.
The UAE was the first country to agree to establish full diplomatic relations with the Jewish state
under the Abraham Accords, a pact brokered by former US President Donald Trump.
The agreement made the UAE only the third majority Arab country to form official ties with Israel,
following Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan have subsequently joined
the Abraham Accords.
CHINA GREEN LIGHT FOR DAMS ON BRAHMAPUTRA
China's new Five-Year Plan (FYP) 2021-2025 draft gave the
green light for the first dam to be built on the lower reaches of
the Yarlung Zangbo river, as the Brahmaputra was well known
in Tibet before it flowed into India.
The draft outline of the "2025 Five-Year Plan" and the draft long-term goal by 2035 specifically
mention the construction of hydropower bases downstream of the river, which is one of the priority
energy projects to be carried out in the next five years.
Downstream refers to the section of the Tibetan river that flows into India.
The inclusion of these projects in the draft plan indicates that the authorities have approved the first
start of excavation downstream.
This marks a new chapter in river hydropower development. Other major projects: the construction
of coastal nuclear power plants and power transmission channels. All drafts are ready for formal
approval.
9 PRAVAHINI (Weakly Periodical - March 2021) by www.successmantra.in & www.easevidya.com
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
GOVT. AMENDS INSURANCE OMBUDSMAN RULES
The Government of India has notified comprehensive
amendments to the Insurance Ombudsman Rules, 2017, for
better resolution of policyholders’ complaints regarding insurance
service deficiencies, in a timely, cost-effective and impartial
manner.
This will help in facilitating the resolution of the complaints with respect to the deficiencies in
insurance services in a cost-effective and impartial manner on time.
The Ombudsman mechanism was administered by the Executive Council of Insurers. This has now
been renamed as the Council for Insurance Ombudsmen.
Earlier, the scope of complaints to Ombudsmen was limited to only disputes, but now it has been
enlarged to include deficiencies in service on the part of insurers, agents, brokers and other
intermediaries.
The insurance brokers have also been brought within the ambit of the Ombudsman mechanism. The
Ombudsmen has been empowered to pass awards against insurance brokers as well.
Ombudsman is an official who is appointed to investigate the complaints regarding the service or on
an administrative authority.
The ombudsman is usually appointed by governments however, the private companies can also
appoint them. The Indian government has appointed an ombudsman to resolve the grievances with
respect to income tax, banking and insurance.
WB GUARANTEE SCHEME FOR SOLAR ROOFTOP PROJECT
The World Bank plans to introduce a $100-million credit
guarantee scheme to boost India’s rooftop solar programme,
which has not gained enough traction.
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The scheme will allow micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to avail concessional debt
financing for setting up rooftop solar units.
The World Bank scheme, along with the State Bank of India (SBI) and the MSME ministry to
accelerate the adoption of rooftop solar units, will help MSMEs access credit of around $1 billion.
The arrangement will be beneficial for the firms that often do not meet the lending criteria of banks
and other financial institutions, with their financial woes been exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic.
MERCHANT DIGITIZATION SUMMIT LAUNCHED BY GOI
Government of India (GoI), Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and United Nations’ Better
Than Cash Alliance hosted the Merchant Digitization Summit
2021: Towards AatmaNirbhar (Self Reliance) Bharat, with special
attention to the Himalayan Region, Northeast Region and the
Aspirational Districts of India.Highlights
The summit convened the public and private sector leaders of the Responsible Merchant
Digitization Summit to accelerate the responsible digitization of Merchant in North-Eastern India and
the Himalayan regions, and Aspirational Districts.
This summit is part of a series of learning and exchange activities between all States and Union
Territories.
According to the series, the Department of Economic Affairs also organized a webinar called
‘Unlocking the value of Fintech in promoting Digital Payments’ in December 2020.
About Better Than Cash Alliance: Headquarters of Better than Cash Alliance in United Nations. It
is a partnership of governments, companies and international organizations designed to accelerate
the transition from cash to digital payments to help achieve Sustainable Development Goals. The
Alliance has 76 members, including India.
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APPOINTMENTS
JAIDEEP BHATNAGAR TOOK CHARGE AS DG OF PIB
The former head of the News Services Division of All India Radio,
Jaideep Bhatnagar, took over as Principal Director General of the
Press Information Bureau.
Prior to his current charge as head of the organisation, Bhatnagar
has worked in PIB for six years in different capacities. He will take over from Kuldeep Singh
Dhatwalia, who superannuated on February 28, 2021.
Bhatnagar, a 1986-batch Indian Information Service (IIS) officer, earlier served in Doordarshan News
as head of the Commercial, Sales and Marketing Division.
He has also served as Prasar Bharati Special Correspondent West Asia covering 20 countries and
later went on to head the News Services Division of AIR.
MATAM VENKATA RAO AS CEO OF CENTRAL BANK
Matam Venkata Rao has taken charge as the new Managing
Director and Chief Executive Officer of Central Bank of India.
Rao till now held the position of Executive Director at Canara
Bank. His appointment is for a period of 3 years with effect from
the date of assumption of office on or after March 1, 2021, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Rao is a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers. He is a post-graduate in agriculture
from Sri Venkateshwara Agriculture College, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
LIGIA NORONHA AS UN ASST. SECRETARY GENERAL
UN chief Antonio Guterres has appointed leading Indian
economist Ligia Noronha as Assistant Secretary-General and Head
of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP).
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Prior to joining the UNEP, Noronha worked at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New
Delhi as Executive Director (Research Coordination) and as Director of the Division on Resources,
Regulation and Global Security.
She has worked since 2014 as Director of UNEP’s Economy Division based in Nairobi, leading
UNEP’s work on climate mitigation and energy transitions; on inclusive green economies,
sustainable consumption and production, as well as on trade and sustainable finance, and the nexus
of environment, pollution and health.
TARUN BAJAJ TAKES ADDL. CHARGEAS REVENUE SECY.
Department of economic affairs secretary, Tarun Bajaj has been
given the additional charge of revenue secretary. Present revenue
secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey retires on February 28.
The Centre has decided to not grant an extension to finance secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey who was
also holding additional charge of the revenue department in the finance ministry.
Tarun Bajaj, an old hand at the Finance Ministry, assumed charge as Economic Affairs secretary
last May, at a time when India saw the worst growth contraction in history on account of the Covid-
19 pandemic.
AWARDS & HONOURS
PM MODI CERAWEEK GLOBAL ENERGY AWARD
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive the CERAWeek global
energy and environment leadership award during an annual
CERAWeek Conference-2021.
The award is given to him for his commitment to sustainability in
energy and the environment.
The CERAWeek Conference-2021 will be held virtually from March 1 to 5, 2021.
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It is an annual international conference that brings together the energy industry leaders, experts.
Policymakers Government officials, leaders from the technology, energy technology innovators and
financial & industrial communities.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS 2021
The Golden Globe Awards 2021 was held to recognise excellence
in film, both American and international, and American television.
This was the 78th edition of the annual event, which honoured the
best in American television, as well as film in 2020 and early 2021,
as chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
American TV series “The Crown” won the most awards for the ceremony with four awards.
Winners in the Film category:
Best Film – Drama: Nomadland
Best Film – Musical/Comedy: Borat Subsequent Movie film
Best Director: Chloe Zhao for Nomadland
Best Actress – Drama: Andra Day for The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Best Actor – Drama: Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
SPORTS
INDIAN WOMEN'S LEAGUE 2020 TO BE HOSTED IN ODISHA
All India Football Federation confirms Odisha as the venue for the
forthcoming Hero Indian Women’s League 2020-21 editions.
This is the fifth edition of IWL, the top division women’s league in
India. The Odisha government is a strategic partner of the AIFF
(All India Football Federation) as it provides the necessary infrastructure to various men and women
age-group teams.
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AIFF appreciates Odisha Government’s longstanding partnership with Indian Football wherein the
latter have been providing its stadia and State of the Art training facilities to National Teams across
various age groups and genders – all in an effort to take Indian Football forward together.
J&K TOPS KHELO INDIA WINTER NATIONAL GAMES
Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir topped the medals tally
in the second edition of the Khelo India Winter National Games.
J&K won 11 gold, 18 silver and 5 bronze medals.
The five-day mega sports event which began on the 26th of February concluded in the famous ski
resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. The event was e-inaugurated by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
The second edition of the Khelo India winter games is a major step towards making Jammu and
Kashmir a hub of the winter games.
The event was organised by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the
J&K Sports Council and the Winter Games Association of Jammu and Kashmir.
KIERON POLLARD BECOMES 3RD TO HIT 6 SIXES
Kieron Pollard hit six sixes in an over to guide West Indies to a
comprehensive four-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the first game
of their three-match T20 series.
Pollard joins former India batsman Yuvraj Singh as the only other player to hit six sixes in an over
in T20 cricket, and just the third man to hit six sixes in an international match, emulating Herschelle
Gibbs (South Africa) and Yuvraj Singh (India).
Pollard achieved the feat when he hit Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya out of the park 6 times in the 6th
over of West Indies’ successful chase in the first T20I at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
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PV SINDHU WON SILVER IN BWF SWISS OPEN
India’s ace shuttler PV Sindhu has won a silver medal in the BWF
Swiss Open Super 300 in the final of the women’s singles event held
at Basel, Switzerland. The World No. 7 Sindhu lost to World No. 3
and reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin.
Winners List of Swiss Open 2021
Men’s Singles: Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) beat Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand).
Women’s Singles: Carolina Marin (Spain) beat PV Sindhu (India).
Men’s Doubles: Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (Denmark) beat Mark
Lamsfuss-Marvin Seidel (Germany).
Mixed Doubles: Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue (France) beat Denmark pair, Mathias
Christiansen-Alexandra Boje.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY OBSERVED ON 8TH MARCH
International Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March every
year. This day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and
political achievements of women.
The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s
equality. International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to
celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women, who have played an extraordinary
role in the history of their countries and communities.
This year’s theme for International Women Day, “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future
in a COVID-19 world”, celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in
shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day in the International Women’s
Year, 1975. In 1977, the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March
8 as the UN Day for women’s rights and world peace.
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ZERO DISCRIMINATION DAY OBSERVED ON 1ST MARCH
Zero Discrimination Day is an annual day celebrated on 1 March
each year by the United Nations and other international
organisations.
Zero Discrimination Day aims to raise the voice for the right to live life with dignity, despite one’s
choices, beliefs, profession, education, disability or even illness. The theme of Zero
Discrimination Day 2021: “End Inequalities”.
Zero Discrimination Day was first celebrated on March 1, 2014, and was launched by UNAIDS
Executive Director at Beijing after UNAIDS launched its Zero Discrimination Campaign on World
AIDS Day in December 2013.
WORLD WILDLIFE DAY OBSERVED ON 3RD MARCH
World Wildlife Day is observed globally on the 3rd of March
every year to celebrate the beautiful and varied forms of wild
fauna and flora present on earth.
World Wildlife Day also raise awareness about the benefits that the conservation of wild fauna and
flora provides to people living on earth.
The day also reminds us of the need to fight against wildlife crime and human-induced reduction of
species causing various wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts.
World Wildlife Day will be celebrated in 2021 under the theme “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining
People and Planet”, as a way to highlight the central role of forests, forest species and ecosystems
services in sustaining the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people globally, and particularly of
Indigenous and local communities with historic ties to forested and forest-adjacent areas.
World Wildlife Fund Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland.
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INDIA TO COMMEMORATE 'CHABAHAR DAY' ON MARCH 4
The Ministry of External Affairs India will commemorate
‘Chabahar Day’ on March 4 on the sidelines of the Maritime
India Summit 2021 being held in New Delhi.
The virtual event will see the participation of ministers from
Afghanistan, Armenia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan. The Summit is being held from
March 2-4, 2021.
About the Chabahar Port: It is a seaport in Chabahar which is located in south-eastern Iran in the
Gulf of Oman. The port serves as the only oceanic port of Iran.
The port comprises two separate ports namely the Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari. The port
was first proposed by the last shah of Iran in the year 1973. The first phase was opened in 1983.
REPORTS AND INDEXES
ELON MUSK TOPA HURUN GLOBAL RICH LIST 2021
The 10th Edition of Hurun Global Rich List 2021 was released, which
ranked 3228 billionaires from 2,402 companies and 68 countries.
The report showed that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the world
added 8 billionaires every week in 2020 and 421 in a year, taking
their total number to a record 3,288.
Top three billionaires: Tesla chief Elon Musk bagged the top spot on the Hurun Global Rich List for
the first time after adding a massive $151 billion during the year 2020 to take his net worth to $197
billion. Amazon.com Inc CEO Jeff Bezos ranked second with $189 billion in net worth.
India in the list: With 60 Billionaires from the Hurun India Global List 2021, Mumbai became the
capital for India’s rich followed by New Delhi (40) & Bengaluru (22).
Asia’s richest person and Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani is ranked eighth on the
Hurun Global Rich List 2021. The total wealth of Ambani surged by 24% to $83 billion
(approximately Rs 6.09 lakh crore).
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11TH QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS
The 11th edition of the QS World University Rankings was
released on March 04, 2021. The QS World University Rankings
2021 ranks the top 1,000 universities from around the world,
covering 80 different locations.
There are 47 new entrants on the list. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the United
States has retained its top position as the best university for the ninth year in a row.
Stanford University, the United States and the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom are the
second and third best University globally in QS World University Rankings 2021.
The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay has emerged as the best institution. It is placed at 172
positions. No institute in India is in the top 100. Indian Institute of Science (185), Indian Institute of
Technology, Delhi (193) are the only other universities from India to feature in the top 200.
The QS World University Rankings by Subject are compiled to help prospective students identify
the leading universities in a particular subject.
The 2021 QS World University Ranking by Subject cover a total of 51 disciplines, grouped into five
broad subject areas, namely: Arts & Humanities; Engineering & Technology; Life Sciences &
Medicine; Natural Sciences; and Social Sciences and Management.
EASE OF LIVING INDEX 2020 RELEASED
Bengaluru emerged as the top city on the government’s Ease of
Living Index 2020 that was released by Housing and Urban Affairs
Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
Pune was second and Ahmedabad was ranked third among 111 cities. A total of 111 cities under the
Smart Cities Program, participated in the assessment exercise that was conducted in 2020.
The Ease of Living Index 2020 ranked cities in the following two categories:
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Million+ populated cities – those with a population of more than a million.
Less than Million populated cites – those with a population of less than a million.
No city has been included from West Bengal because of the “data challenge”.
Million+ category: Bengaluru emerged as the top performer in this category. This was
followed by Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Surat, Navi Mumbai, Coimbatore, Vadodara,
Indore, and Greater Mumbai respectively.
Less than Million category: In this group, Shimla was ranked the highest in ease of living. This was
followed by Bhubaneshwar, Silvassa, Kakinada, Salem, Vellore, Gandhinagar, Gurugram,
Davangere, and Tiruchirappalli.
UNEP RELEASED FOOD WASTE INDEX REPORT 2021
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and WRAP
released the Food Waste Index Report 2021 and highlights that
food wastes by different countries in 2019. As per the report, Over
931 million tonnes of food were wasted globally in 2019.
In India, the household food waste estimate is 50 kg per capita per year, or 68,760,163 tonnes a year.
The household food waste estimate in the US is 59 kg per capita per year, or 19,359,951 tonnes a year.
China these estimates are 64 kg per capita per year or 91,646,213 tonnes a year.
The Food Waste Index Report aims at supporting the goals of SDG 12.3. It does so by presenting the
most comprehensive food waste data collection, analysis and modelling to date, generating a new
estimate of global food waste;
Publishing a methodology for countries to measure food waste, at household, foodservice and retail
level, to track national progress towards 2030 and to report on SDG 12.3.
Countries using this methodology will generate strong evidence to guide a national strategy on
food waste prevention, that is sufficiently sensitive to pick up changes in food waste over two- or
four-year intervals, and that enables meaningful comparisons between countries globally.
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ECONOMIC FREEDOM INDEX 2021 RELEASED
The Heritage Foundation, a US Conservative think-tank, recently
launched the “Economic Freedom Index”.
The index was prepared by covering 184 countries this time for the
period of July 2019 to June 2020. This is the first time the index has
been published since the COVID-19 pandemic overturned lives as well as global economies and the
scoring reflects a small extent how governments have responded to the health crisis.
In the index, Singapore has topped the global ranking for the second consecutive year. In the 2021
Index, India came in around the middle of the pack among Asia-Pacific countries ranking 26th out
of 40 countries, scoring 56.5 points.
Globally, the Foundation rates India’s economy as the 121st freest. Although its overall score is
unchanged, improvements were made in business freedom. This was offset by declines in judicial
effectiveness and other scores.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ISRO LAUNCHES AMAZONIA-1 SATELLITE OF BRAZIL
India’s Polar rocket has successfully launched Amazonia-1 of
Brazil and 18 other satellites from the spaceport here, in the first
mission of the year for space agency ISRO.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C51 lifted from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan
Space Centre (SHAR) and first injected into orbit primary payload Amazonia-1.
The 637-kg Amazonia-1 which became the first Brazilian satellite to be launched from India is an
optical earth observation satellite of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
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RUSSIA LAUNCHED 1ST ARCTIC MONITORING SATELLITE
The Russian space corporation Roscosmos successfully launched
its first satellite to monitor the Arctic’s climate and environment.
The satellite called “Arktika-M”, was launched on February 28,
2021, onboard Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket, from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
This satellite will help to collect information to solve operational meteorology and hydrology
problems, and monitoring the climate and environment in the Arctic region.
MISCELLANEOUS RAJYA SABHA & LOK SABHA MERGED INTO SANSAD TV
The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha Television channels that
broadcast the proceedings of the upper and lower Houses of
Parliament, respectively, have been merged into a single entity.
The new channel has been named the ‘Sansad Television’. This
change is effective from March 01, 2021.
Ravi Capoor, a retired IAS officer of the 1986 batch, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of Sansad TV for one year.
The decision to change the name was jointly taken by Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu
and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
YEAR 2023 AS INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF MILLETS
The UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution
sponsored by India and supported by over 70 nations declaring
2023 as the International Year of Millets.
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The International Year of Millets is aimed at raising awareness about the health benefits of the grain
and its suitability for cultivation under changing climatic conditions.
India’s Permanent Mission to the UN also distributed savoury millet snack murukku to all UN
Member States.
The 193-member General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution, declaring 2023 as the
International Year of Millets.
The resolution titled International Year of Millets 2023′ was initiated by India with Bangladesh,
Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Russia and Senegal and was co-sponsored by over 70 nations.
SC ON APPOINTMENT OF CBI DIRECTOR
The Supreme Court has filed a writ petition requesting the
appointment of a regular Director of the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI).
The Director of CBI was appointed in accordance with Article 4A of the Delhi Special Police
Establishment Act of 1946.
The Director of the CBI has obtained a two-year term guarantee under the 2003 CVC Act. The Lokpal
& Lokayuktas Act (2013) amended the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (1946) and made the
following changes for the appointment of the CBI Director
The central government should appoint the Director of the CBI on the recommendation of the three-
person committee consisting of Prime Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of Opposition party in
the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India or Judge of the Supreme Court nominated by him.
MAJOR FIRE BROKE OUT SIMILIPAL RESERVE
A fire broke out in the Similipal Biosphere Reserve in Odisha.
The fire did not touch the core area of the biosphere, but the fire
threatened the destruction of its rich biodiversity.
The name of Similipal comes from the "Simul" (silk cotton) tree. It was officially designated as a
tiger reserve in 1956 and was included in the "Tiger Project" in 1973.
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In June 1994, the Indian government declared it a biosphere reserve. Since 2009, it has become part
of the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve Network.
It is part of the Similipal-Kuldiha-Hadgarh Elephant Sanctuary, commonly known as the
Mayurbhanj Elephant Sanctuary, which includes 3 sanctuaries, namely the Similipal Tiger
Sanctuary, the Hadagarh Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary.